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As The Socceroos gathered in camp in Brisbane this week to prepare for their first World Cup qualifier against Thailand at Suncorp Stadium tonight, it must have felt like “getting the band back together” for its senior citizens.

Mark Schwarzer, Tim Cahill, Lucas Neill, Luke Wilkshire and Brett Emerton have done it all before. Veterans of two World Cup Finals campaigns, they’re like a seasoned stadium rock band these days. Tune up, plug in and let rip.

And like a stadium rock show where you can be certain the set list will be full of the big hits, you pretty much know what you’re going to get from these Socceroos top liners.

As Holger Osieck’s team sets off on its quest for a ticket to Brazil in 2014, the big question will be just how many great performances the boss can extract from the support acts in the Socceroos line up.
Certainly Osieck has been able to find something in the likes of Matt McKay and Robbie Kruse that his predecessor wasn’t. They each had a break out tournaments at the recent Asian Cup. Both have been rewarded with contracts with European clubs, McKay at Glasgow Rangers, Kruse with Fortuna Dusseldorf in Germany.

And this is where it gets interesting for this pair. Are they able to follow up their recent success with decent club performances and an improved output for their national team? Or will they suffer the sophomore blues like so many promising acts before them?

With an ageing central defensive pairing in Lucas Neill and Sasa Ognenovski, Osieck needs to reinforce the Socceroos at the back and he knows it. That’s why there’s so much riding on the continued development of Matthew Spiranovic.

The young centre back is, as they say in the trade, big in Japan, where he’s worked hard to establish himself with Urawa Red Diamonds. At just 23 years old his best football may still be ahead of him, but there’s no doubting the fact that he will be central to Australia’s plans as the qualification quest rolls into 2012.

Michael Zullo returns home to Brisbane and must surely see this home town gig as a chance to secure his spot on the left side of defence. His recent Socceroos outings have been encouraging, and he must know the spot is his if he can produce when called upon.

Adam Sarota will also feel right at home at Suncorp Stadium. After just 15 appearances with the Brisbane Roar the kid from Gordonvale in North Queensland found himself at Utrecht in the Dutch Eredivisie, with fellow Roar boys Zullo and Tommy Oar, making his Socceroos debut in the recent win over Wales in Cardiff.

However, this is where it gets tough. Back to back fixtures against Thailand and Saudi Arabia with World Cup qualification implications are a major step up from the rehearsal room that is an international friendly. If their talent and ambition are to be realised then it’s time for them to show they’ve got the temperament and work ethic to produce the goods, particularly if things get tough as they inevitably do during World Cup qualification.

Similarly for the versatile Rhys Williams, now is the moment to press his claims for top billing in defence. Having impressed with his time at Middlesbrough, so much so that he’s attracting interest from a number of suitors.

His compatriot Chris Herd has impressed at Villa Park, having put in a terrific shift against Wolves last weekend. The young defender isn’t in the current Socceroos squad, but if he continues to impress with The Villains it will provide Osieck with another defensive option to consider.

It is, as a great man said, ‘a long and winding road’ to Brazil and the World Cup Finals. Holger Osieck seems pretty confident that with the line up he’s assembled, the Socceroos will be in perfect pitch.
AUSTRALIA VS THAILAND STATSHead-to-head Played 2: Australia 2, Thailand 0
Previous meeting
Thailand 0, Australia 4, 2007 Asian Cup, Bangkok, July 2011

About the Blogger

Francis Leach

Francis has enjoyed a media career that has taken him from ABC and Triple J to Melbourne sport station SEN, where he headed its A-League commentary team and drive time program. A passionate football man, he's now back where it all began with ABC Grand Stand.